The organisers of the planned World Orisha Congress (WOOCON) have disclosed plans to build a Congress Arena for Orisha devotees, to be called WOOCON CITY.
Executive Secretary/CEO of the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO), Otunba Biodun Ajiboye, who is also Secretary of WOOCON, made this known at a press briefing organised in collaboration with Fundacao Cultural Palmares in Brazil.
He revealed that WOOCON City is designed to include a sanctuary of sacred groves and shrines that will be protected and revered for generations, allowing devotees to reconnect with their roots.
Media Assistant to the Executive Secretary, NICO, Caleb Nor, stated this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.
Ajiboye, who emphasised that WOOCON is not just limited to faith but also about building the future, urged all sons and daughters of Orisha to rise up and take their place on the global stage with dignity, structure, and a unified purpose.
“Imagine a city where we have world-class hotels and luxury accommodations for visiting pilgrims and delegates; state-of-the-art hospitals and wellness centres for holistic healing; cultural institutions and academic centres for the study of Yoruba, Ifa, and other African cosmology; modern shopping malls; traditional markets; African craft villages; theatres, amphitheatres, and museums that are dedicated to African-Brazilian heritage.”
“World Orisha Congress (WOOCON) is beyond just a gathering. It is a revolution of spiritual consciousness, a renaissance of cultural pride, and a movement of identity reclamation.”
“We have come to a point where we shall never allow our spirituality to be subjugated by other religions. Today, we announce the birth of a new chapter where the Orisha spirituality will no longer dwell in the shadows of misunderstanding but shine as a pillar of heritage, healing, and hope.”
He further disclosed that efforts are ongoing to ensure a credible system that preserves the integrity of Orisha ancestral practice, where structures will be established to monitor and check individuals—both Nigerians and Brazilians residing in Brazil—who misrepresent sacred Orisha traditions for personal gain or with misguided intentions.
“I wish to emphasise this and make it clear that no individual or group of persons will be allowed to misuse this sacred heritage. We are instituting cross-governmental frameworks to verify and regulate claims of spiritual authority, particularly those that present themselves as kings, priests, or traditional leaders without proper legitimacy,” he said.
While calling on relevant stakeholders to unite under the WOOCON umbrella for the successful hosting of the Congress, Ajiboye also commended the governments of Nigeria and Brazil for their unwavering support for cultural diplomacy, the integration of Afro-descendants, and the preservation of Yoruba spiritual heritage.
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